ANOTHER body has been recovered from the Rochdale Canal in Manchester.

This brings the total to 62 in the past six years as the body of 51 years old Tony Lawless was dragged from the Rochdale Canal at Ancoats in the city on Boxing Day morning, Keith Gudgin reports.

Investigation launched

The emergency services were called to the canal at 9am after a body was reported in the water, with it later being identified and a police investigation launched into his death to discover the circumstances that lead to the man being in the canal and to ascertain if there are any suspicious circumstances.

It has been revealed that he suffered from alcoholism, it is thought brought on by the death of his father.

Campaign

During the Christmas period in 2017 a campaign was launched in Manchester pointing out the dangers of alcohol and the canals, but this was not carried out this year.

It was promoted by Canal & River Trust, but since then the emphasis has been on it being healthy and happy by the water, so pointing out that people drowned in the canals would hardly fit in with its 'wellbeing for everyone' campaign.